Electrical connecting device



June 20, 1933. G, L. CHAMBERLMN 1,914,360

ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 14. 1929 3o 29 32 B 1b 19 2 130 23 26x18) 2% 21x 2 11% 2,5 24 z S l I WITNESES:

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Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES GEORGE L. CHAMBERLAIN, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICE Application filed August 14, 1929.

This invention relates to electrical connecting devices, and more particularly to means for effecting a detachable connection between a transformer or other appliance and the feed cables in an underground system.

In an underground, as well as other electrical systems, it is very essential that the jointures of the various connections be made 1 Water-tight, and to assure this it is quite a common practice to make the joints permanent, but in cases where detachable connections are made it is diHicult to accomplish the same. That is to say, the usual connections, both permanent and detachable, are quite troublesome to make, and, further, considerable head room is required for the accommodation of the transformer or other instrument in the manhole or well 20. as provided in the usual underground duct system. The present invention, therefore, has for its principal object to provide for the connection of the said cables to the transformer Without the necessity of' bend- 2,5 ing the cables out of their normal longitudinal alignment, and to conserve head room for the accommodation of the transformer housing, and for effecting the connections.

The invention consists in the novel strucq ture and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating a practical adaptation of the inven- 3 5, tion,-

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a transformer housing equipped with connecting means according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 oi: Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the insulation blockfor separating the internal (':onnectmg plug and socket elements;

Fig. 5 is a detail View of the internal plug element detached; and

Fig. 6 is a detail View ofthe internal socket element detached.

UQ Referring now to the drawing, the nu- Serial No. 385,955.

meral 10 designates the housing of a transformer, which maybe of the usual type. The Wires 11 and 12 leading from the primary coil (not shown) are connected to terminal members 13 and 14, respectively, 55 extending through an insulation block 15 and being respectively connected to an internal plug element 16 and a socket element 17. The elements 16 and 17 are located in tubular insulating members 18, which are inserted in a transverse tubular extension 19, which is connected to the transformer housing 1() by a neck 20, in which latter the insulation block 15 is insei-ted, said insulation block having a `central extension 21 which extends into the 'tube 19 and separates the plug element 16 and socket element 17.

The tubular insulating members 18 afford sockets for the reception of the terminal end portions 22 of the cables 23 in the primary circuit. The terminal end portions 22 of the cables 23 are respectively provided with a plug element 24 having an axial extension 25 to enter the socket element 17 and a 75 socket member 26 which fits over the axial extension 27 of the element 16. The plug member 24 and the socket member 26 are also adapted for engagement with each other when removed from said tubular extension 19,y as will be presently described.

The opposite end portions 28 of' the tubular extension 19 are preferably enlarged in diameter, and said portions are externally screw-threaded for the reception of coupling nuts 29, said nuts having internal annular shoulders 30 which engage opposed external shoulders 31 on hollow coupling members 32, which latter are sleeved over the cables 23 and soldered thereto, as at 33. 90

For convenience in assembling the structure the several parts are made so as to be separable, but normally cooperate to retain each other in place. As shown, the neck portion 2O which connects the body 10 and 95 transverse tubular extension 19, is substantially rectangular externally, and the opening therein is correspondingly shaped except that the end portions are rounded to coincide with the rounded end portions 34 '100 of the insulation block 15. The upwardly extending portion 21 of said block 15 is also rounded, as at 35, to conform to the curvature of the tubular extension 19, and adjacent to said portion 21 said block 15 is recessed, as at 36, so as to correspond to the curvature of the said tubular extension 19. The inner ends of the tubular insulating members 18 abut the said extension 21 of the block 15, and said tubular members 1S are provided with notches 37 to make clearance for the terminal members 13 and 14, which extend at right angles to the plug elements 16 and 17 and are preferably formed integral therewith, said members 13 and 14 extending` through bores provided therefor in said insulation block 15, and being screwthreaded at their ends for the reception of the nuts 38, by wh'ch the primary transformer wires 11 and 12 are detachably secured thereto. The block 15 is preferably provided with a downwardly extending lug 39 at the middle thereof which serves as a batlie to prevent sparks jumping' across the gap between the ends of the two terminal members 13 and 14. By this arrangement the block 15 is detachably held in piace by the members 1G and 17, and said members 16 and 17 are in turn held in their proper working position by the said block 15, which latter insulates the inner end portions of said members 16 and 17 from each other.

The peculiar construction and arrangement of the transverse tubular connecting sleeve 19 greatly facilitates the attachment of a transformer or the like to cables in an underground system where head room is limited, as the necessity for turning the cables at right angles to the generai direction in which they lie, in order to make the connection, is obviated, and the attachment is readily effected without requiring the services of highly skilled labor. So, too, in case it becomes necessary to disconnect the cables, the same may be quickly accomplished and the terminal end portions of the cables may be reconnected through a special connecting sleeve or other suit-able device so as to thereby close the circuit until such time as the transformer is replaced.

In order to maintain the compactness of the structure throughout so as to fully conserve head room in the manhole of an underground or other duct system, not only are the primary cable connections made in the manner herein described, but the connectionsfor the leads through which the modified current output of the transformer is conducted to the place of use remote from the transformer, are carried through a right angular or L-shaped connection in a manner similar to said primary cables. This secondary outlet is effected through a horizontal extension 40, which is in substantially the same plane as the transverse tubular member 19, the same being .projected at right angles to a neck 41, similar to the neck 20, on which said transverse extension 19 is mounted, and at the end of said member 40 is a coupling nut 42 through which the coupling member 43 is detachably secured to said member 40. To the coupling member 43 is attached the cable 44 through which the secondary wires 45 are carried, at the inner ends of which are the detachable terminal contact elements which are obviously provided and suitably insulated for effecting the connection with the secondary winding of the transformer within the housing 10.

Obviously, the structure admits of considerable modification Without. departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specitic construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a casing for an electrical appliance, said casing having a transverse tubular extension, said tubular extension having an insulated lining, an insulation block extending from said casing into said tubular extension, terminal members located in op posed relation to each other in said transverse tubular extension and being insulated from each other by said insulation block, said terminal members having right angular' attaching portions extending through said insulation block, means for attaching electrical connections to said attaching portions for holding said insulation block and terminal members in cooperative working relation, current leads having complementary terminal members adapted for detachable engagement with each other and being respectively detachably engageable with said irst mentioned terminal members, and means for det-achably connecting said current leads to the end portions of said transverse tubular extension.

2. The combination of a casing for an electrical transformer, a. transverse tubular member and a hollow neck affording communication between the middle portion of said tubular member and said casing, an insulation block within said neck portion and having an extension projecting into said tubular extension and dividing the latter, opposed plug and socket terminal members located in said tubular extension and separated by said extension of said insulation block, said plug and socket members having right angular portions extending through openings provided therefor in said insulation block, means for detachably securing electrical connecting members to said right angular portions and for holding said insulation block and said terminal members in cooperative Working relation, current leads having plug and socket terminal portions adapted for detachable engagement with said terminal members in said transverse tubular extension, and means for detachably securing said current leads to the opposite end portions of said transverse tubular extension.

3. The combination of a closed casing and a transverse tubular extension connected to said casing by a hollow neck, tubular lining members of insulating material Within said transverse extension, an insulating block extending through said neck and having a middle portion projecting into and dividing said transverse tubular extension, plug and socket terminal members mounted in said tubular extension and being insulated therefrom, said terminal members having right angular portions extending through said insulation block, means on said right angular portions for attaching same to connections for supplying current and for holding said insulation block and said plug and socket members in normal cooperative relation to each other, electrical leads having complementary plug and socket terminal portions adapted for detachable engagement with each other and being respectively detachably engageable with the said plug and socket members in said transverse tubular extension, and coupling elements sleeved on said current leads and secured thereto by Water-proof jointure.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE L. CHAMBERLAIN. 

